Collapsible stereoscopic viewer

ABSTRACT

A unitarily constructed folding viewer suitable for use with circular viewing discs. The structure includes a pair of major body portions hinged at one end and adapted to be joined with a clearance therebetween. A foldable top member, as well as side and end flaps are hinged to one another and to one of the body portions. Cooperative tabs extending from the body portion and top member are mated with slots in the side and end flaps to form the assembled viewer. A retainer integral with the body portion secures the end flaps when nestled above folded side flaps and top member.

Elited States Patent [191 Lewis Nov. l2, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE STEREOSCOPIC VIEWER Primary Examiner Paul A. Sacher [75] inventor: Alan Glueck Lewis, West Linn Attorney, Agent, or FrrmWalter C. Kehm; Samson B.

Ore Leavltt [73] Assignee: GAF Corporation, New York, NY. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Ffled: 1972 A unitarily constructed folding viewer suitable for use [21] A l, M 302,888 with circular viewing discs The structure includes a pair of major body portions hinged 'at one end and adapted to be joined with a clearance therebetween. A [52] U.S. Cll. 350/1 (1;062 LO/2673 foldable top member as we" as side and end flaps are [51] i C 63 A 6 A hinged to one another and to one of the body por [58] new of l tions. Cooperative tabs extending from the body portion' and top member are mated with slots in the side [56] References C'ted and end flaps to form the assembled viewer. A re- UNITED STATES PATENTS tainer integral with the body portion secures the end 2,131,444 9/1938 Lateltin et al. 350/140 flaps when nestled above folded side flaps and top 3,005,378 lO/l96l Golden member. 3,145,253 8/1964 Patton 350/140 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE STEREOSCOPIC VIEWER The present invention is directed-to a folding stereoptic viewer suitable for use in conjunction with manually rotatable discs of information.

More particularly, the-present invention is directed to a compact and efficient viewer of unitary type of contruction which is collapsible and adapted to fold upon itself, thereby rendering such a viewer in the folded position compact and easy to store.

Folding viewers of the type disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,005,378 and 3,145,253 are'known to the Applicant. In connection with these embodiments, there exist a number ofdrawbacks to which'the instant invention has addressed itself. For an example, in US. Pat. No. 3,005,378 there exists a number of parts which whenproperly constructed, serve as a body for the viewer. Such parts tend toincrease the size andbulk of the unit to the point where it sometimes becomes uncomfortable and larger than one would care to carry as a portable viewing apparatus. The viewer disclosed in this particular prior art patent, consists of a series of five principal parts together with a flat face member; and are held together by a suitable hinge arrangement to form the finishedviewer. After continuous use, this viewer presents a problem of possible failure at the hinge portion. In addition, the fact that anumber of individual parts have to be joined and assembled together to form the finished product does necessitate a degree of mechanical skill. The cost of preparing the necessary dies, molds, etc., for this unit is quite prohibitive when compared to the present invention as will be described in more detail herein below.

Insofar as the US. Pat. No. 3,145,253 is concerned, this particular viewer is somewhat similar to that discussed above in US. Pat. No. 3,005,378 with the exception that there exists a hinge arrangement employing a rubber band or other elastic material. This elastic serves to act as the principal hinge arrangement by which the assembled unit opens upon itself andforms into the necessary configuration for viewing. Again, such a structure is somewhat compact, but certainly not as small as one would like for purposes of continuous carrying after increased use; furthermore, the hinge, as well as the separate parts which are joined together can fail at the hinge, especially after long and continued folding andunfolding. In addition, the size due of the unit in this arrangement is larger than what is envisioned by Applicants presentdesign and is due to a rigid bracing member disposed .in the interior of the viewing chamber.

By way of additional background, the present invention represents and possesses a number of advantages over such prior art, especially insofar as commercialization is concerned. For anexample, the instant invention is directed to a new and novel viewer that is of unitary construction and includes integral hinges which can be either molded or coined in a secondary operation. Unlike prior viewers which are made of many pieces with each individually requiring separate manufacturing operations, and ultimatelyincreasing the cost of the finished product; the the instant invention is simpler to produce. Serious questions concerning product integrity and product life which need be considered with prior art viewers, especially those that makeuse of a plastic cloth ora tape as a hinging medium are no longer quite so important.

The instant invention since it is designed to be a low cost item for production and manufacture, is considered to have enormous marketing potential as compared to prior art viewers and it is expected that economies on the order of 33 /a percent can result by means of the viewer of the present invention when compared to the prior art.

From the above, it is apparent that the instant invention represents a substantial cost savings, as well as contributes to the compactness and ease of operation of the over-all assembly. Unlike in the past with viewers having a number of parts, the present invention is of unitary construction which is very simple to construct from the knock-down to'the in-use position. Certainly children and others who are not specifically mechanically oriented are intended to have no difficulty in placing this viewer in the in-use condition. When compared to the prior art, this representsan important advantage in that the end-user need not rely on anyone else to .place this viewer into condition for usage.

The instant invention contemplates a structure of a unitary construction making use of a flat sheet of pliable material which when folded. together, offers a rigid and yet flexible viewersuitable for folding into a compact unit.

In accordance with the principal features of the invention, there is provided a unitary member, which includes a pair of discs or circular shaped body portions, adaptable for accepting the viewing reels, through which such discs can be rotated from scene to scene as they are viewed via stereoptic lenses through viewing windows. The structure provides points of weakening at the end flap portions of the viewer to enable such flaps to be bent and engaged with tabs extending from the circular body portion and thus offer rigidity, as well as-to establish a properfocal length from the lens to the viewing screen. The tabs are adapted to be engagedby slots that are provided in the flap portions, with engagement in the form of a mortise and tenon arrangement. This provides for a secure construction and unitary structure. The uniqueness of the present invention and its ability to fold down .is attributable to the novel design of the central body portion, which is that portion including: a bendable section, that enables the side flap to be retained through .a tab extending'from the main circular disc body portion. In the fold down position, all of the structural members that add to the rigidity and to the proper focal length are all nestled andare held in position under the flap portion. The present design contemplates utilizing sufficient points of weakening along a tranverse extending from the upper portion of the central body member up to and including the points of contact with the end flap. By such points of weakening, it-is possible to fold the viewer over several times, as the working portions of the unit are retained by the flap. The strength of the hinge is obviously a function of joint design, as well as choice of materials. Ithas been found that the joint at the point of weakening could take the form of a regular square notch enabling the folding portion to be folded as much as from to with respect to the vertical. The choice of materials in order to achieve this have included, for an example: polyethylene or polypropylene. In addition, a series of ribs are provided as surfaces rising above the vertical in the form of semi-circular surfaces, which are adapted to engage with circular openings in a manner to permit doubling over-of the main body portion (left and right portions respectively), so as to form a circular structure for the acceptance of the viewing disc. This design feature contemplates having the rib to provide sufficient clearnace space to permit insertion and withdrawal of the viewing disc as required. Two viewing areas located along a line of travel in the horizontal direction are such, that when the end flaps are folded over and are snapped into place, the lenses form a proper and sufficient focal length to enable viewing without any difficulty. One rear face of the viewing main body portion is provided with a beveled spindle adapted to engage a hole in the viewing disc and thereby minimize any slippage or deviation from the viewing windows as such disc is manually rotated by the movement of a forefinger over the periphery of the disc in a given direction from one scene to the next.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the present invention to provide for a hand viewer which is free of the defects of the prior art.

Still another feature of the present invention is to provide for a hand viewer which is of unitary construction and compact in size and has a minimum number of working parts.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible viewer which is adapted to fold upon itself in such a manner that the ultimate size in the fold down position is approximately one half that of what would normally be found in the prior art.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a folding view which is adaptable for use with a disc of information and is capable of being folded and unfolded on numberous times without failure at the point of hinge or other points of contact.

The above advantages and objects of the present invention will become more obvious with reference to the accompanying specification and the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the invention before folding, showing the lens in place.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention in the viewing position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention in the folded position.

In accordance with FIG. 1, the present invention includes viewing lenses 1 which are retained and positioned in lens plate 2, such as by snapping the lenses 1 into a pair of seats 3, which are provided integral with the lens plate 2. The main body of the viewer is assembled by folding the rear plate 4 along a pair of hinges 5 so that it aligns itself behind a front plate 6, which front plate is basically of a similar configuration to that of 4. Holes 7 in the rear of plate 4 are disposed to align themselves with corresponding snaps 8 which are in the front plate 6. By urging the holes 7 into the snaps 8 it is possible to retain the front plate 6 to the rear plate 4. Shoulders 9 on snap 8 and a rib 10 on the rear plate 4, provide a means by which the necessary clearance between the front and rear plate is established, so as to permit a viewing disc to be withdrawn. Itis essential that the design of the viewer incorporate sufficient clearance to assure ease of rotation of the disc, as well as its insertion and removal when required. The front plate 6 also includes a pair of spaced apart substantially square openings 30 and 31, which serve as viewing windows as noted hereinbefore.

A pair of end fl ps 11 are folded vertically along hinge 12 and are in proximity to the lens plate 2. The

' lens plate 2 is folded vertically along hinge 13 which is a longitudinal hinge extending across the lower portion of the top plate 14. The top plate 14 is folded vertically along hinges 15 which are disposed on either side of the front plate 6. The entire structure is held in this position by suitable sliding tabs 16, disposed on either side of the front plate 6. The sliding tabs on top plate 14 are adapted to be inserted through slot 17 in the end flap 11 and by sliding tabs 18 on front plate 6 through slot 19 in the end flap. With this type of joining, it is possible to have the various tabs retained in the slots through ribs 20 which are disposed on tabs 16 and 18. This means of forming the integral structure of the viewer, provides a very simple and positive approach to viewer assembly, as discussed hereinbefore. The prior art arrangements necessitate the use of a multitude of elements for assembling a compatible viewing structure. The use of tabs and slots in conjunction with integral hinges provides for a sure and positive fit of the various parts.

The assembled unit after proceeding along the lines suggested above, is seen in FIG. 3. The end flaps 11 and the lens plate 2 are joined and held in place by a foldable body or top plate 14 which is then bent over to form the canopy or the viewing area free from the glare of light which is not necessary for required viewing. A pair of recesses 21 in the end flap 11 are provided to allow for clearnace of the lenses 1 when such lenses and lens seat 3 are in the folded position as shown in FIG. 4.

' When the viewer is to be disassembled or knocked down, the slots 17 and 19 are unsnapped from tabs 16 and 18. The rear plate 4, however, is not unsnapped from front plate 6. In this connection (see FIG. 4), the end flaps l 1 are folded over in a manner to permit them to be placed under an integral hook 28 which permits the viewer to be collapsed and held in the folded position without loosely flying parts.

For actual viewing, the reel is inserted into the clearance that has been provided as a result of the shoulders 9 on snap 8 and rib 10 on plate 4. The reel sits on a spindle 25 provided with a bevel (see FIG. 2) sufficient to allow the reel to be more easily inserted into the viewer. For purposes of viewing, once having the reel inserted and on the spindle, the operator merely rotates the reel about the periphery from scene to scene and completes his viewing after 360 of rotation In this connection, details for use of these reels with a viewer of this type are more fully and completely explained in US. Pat. No. 3,145,253 which has been discussed above.

It will be understood that certain changes may be made in the construction or arrangement of the method and apparatus which is disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An' improved foldable stereoptic viewer adapted for convenient conversion between an in-use configuration suitable for use with rotatable viewing discs and a folded configuration adapted for compact storage, said viewer being a unitary construction of molded plastic including a plurality of interconnecting elements consisting essentially of:

a. a first body portion containing light transmitting viewing windows disposed in spaced apart relationship therein;

b. a second body portion hinged to and adapted for alignment with said first body portion by means of integrally molded hinge means, said first and second body portions being spaced apart from one another in said aligned position with sufficient clearance therebetween to permit the insertion of a viewing disc therebetween; v

a top plate foldably connected by integrally molded hinge means to said first body portion and adapted for movement between a folded position adjacent and-in the same plane as said body portions and an in-use position extending generally normal to said body portions; (1. a lens plate foldably connected to said top plate by integrally molded longitudinal hinge means extending along the side of said top plate opposite the side thereof hinged to said first body portion, said lens plate having a pair of openings therein at predetermined spaced apart positions therein and being adapted for movement between a folded position adjacent and in the same plane as said top plate and said first and second body portions and an in-use position normal to said top plate and essentially parallel to said body portions at a predetermined distance therefrom;

a pair of lenses positioned in said openings in the lens plate;

. end flap means foldably connected by integrally molded hinge means to said lens plate at the end portions thereof, said end flap means being positioned against said lens plate when in the folded position and extending generally normal thereto and contacting said first body position when said viewer is in its in-use position; and g. spindle means positioned between said first and second body portions and adapted to rotatably secure the viewing disc positioned between said first and second body portions, whereby the unitary construction and integrally molded hinge means for folding said plurality of interconnecting elements facilitates the enhanced compactness and utility of said viewer and its adaptability for convenient portability and use.

2. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including tab means extending at the end portions of said top plate and from said first body portion, said end flap means having slot portions cooperatively positioned with said tab means so as to enable said viewer to be secured in said in-use position.

3. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including engageable snap means and openings in said first and second body portions adapted to positively retain said body portions in a fixed spaced apart relationship.

4. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including an integrally molded retaining means on said first body portion for retaining said end flaps in the desired folded position.

5. The foldable viewer of claim 1 in which said integrally molded hinge means comprise points of weakening between said interconnected elements of said viewer of unitary construction.

6. The foldable viewer of claim 1 in which at least one of said body portions includes integrally molded rib means on the side thereof facing the other portion when said viewer is in its in-use position, said rib means serving to fix the predetermined clearance between said first and second body portions of the viewer. 

2. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including tab means extending at the end portions of said top plate and from said first body portion, said end flap means having slot portions cooperatively positioned with said tab means so as to enable said viewer to be secured in said in-use position.
 3. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including engageable snap means and openings in said first and second body portions adapted to positively retain said body portions in a fixed spaced apart relationship.
 4. The foldable viewer of claim 1 and including an integrally molded retaining means on said first body portion for retaining said end flaps in the desired folded position.
 5. The foldable viewer of claim 1 in which said integrally molded hinge means comprise points of weakening between said interconnected elements of said viewer of unitary construction.
 6. The foldable viewer of claim 1 in which at least one of said body portions includes integrally molded rib means on the side thereof facing the other portion when said viewer is in its in-use position, said rib means serving to fix the predetermined clearance between said first and second body portions of the viewer. 